How to Prepare a Low-Budget Wedding Altar

For our wedding, my wife and I decided to have the simplest, smallest one we could possibly get. So I tried to decorate the altar myself. If you are someone who is un-crafty and low-budgeted, this post would be a good reference.

Step 1: Scouting

I always want to make sure of what I have to work with, and the ideas will have to be built upon that. Our ceremony is at a park and out spot looks like this:

At this point, I have to figure out where exactly the groom, the bride, and the minister are going to stand, and also which path the bride will be walking.

Tips:

• Because we do it outside, I have to think of plan B which it will rain.
• After figure out what path the bride will be walking on, I literally walk on it at the leisure speed and time myself so that the music’ length can be appropriately adjusted. (Her walk was 50 seconds by the way).
• For the longest of time, the park was empty but our wedding took place during the Pokemon Go hype, so we had many weirdos wandering everywhere catching pokemons which was unexpected. Luckily we had some scary-looking guest who prevented any intrusion.

Step 2: Designing/Sketching

First I sketch roughly the altar to figure out what sort of things I want to do with the spot.

Now I measure all necessary dimensions and write it down on my sketch. This would be a very good reference for me as I won’t have to keep coming back to the park to double check something.

Deciding what decors to go with can be time consuming. I google quite a bit to see what an altar looks like, what I want and can do to achieve my vision the closest.

Now that I have what I need in mind, I go shopping. (It’s actually not that bad!)

Step 3: Shopping

My rough list:

• Some wooden sticks
• Some crafting strings 
• Some crafting paper sheets in different colors
• A lot of tiny flowers
• Some bundles of flowers
• Rose petals for the bride’s walking path
• Stuff like tape measure, hot glue, a pencil, etc.

Hobby Lobby has most of what I need, but they carry good-quality but therefore pricier stuff. I got the plywood and the strings there. The flowers and the construction paper sheets I got from Walmart. I got 2 bags of rose petals from Dollar Tree for $1.00 each. They are perfectly good to be stepped on.

Step 4: Preparing

First I use the construction paper to fold cranes and hearts. You want to use the colorful ones that mirror the flowers. So no black or brown or grey. If you cannot find Origami instructions for cranes and hearts, you certainly can cut the sheets into shapes – whatever shapes you like! The sizes need to be somewhat consistent, however.

I want the cranes and hearts to spread out evenly so I “map” them all out on a piece of paper.

Now I link them together and to the sticks by strings and make them stick with hot glue. When I’m done, I hang them up and wait for the glue to dry. It doesn’t take much time to dry at all.

Step 5: Putting up Decors

Since the altar is outside, I cannot put up the decors until right before the ceremony. You’ll want to set out 45-60 minutes for this activity in case something comes up you would have time to react.

Results

Things go together quite nicely! Unfortunately I didn’t have time to take any picture of the finished altar :( Bummer! Here are a couple pictures during the ceremony so you’ll have some idea.

Though it was low-budgeted and simplistic, our wedding was still so blessed and she still said “I do” so I’d say Mission Accomplished. By sharing this humble experience, we sincerely that it would help new couples on their altar-preparing endeavor no matter what kind of resources are available. After all, what’s in the heart that counts.